Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will temporarily transfer his powers to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks while he undergoes a medical procedure, the Pentagon announced Friday.
The non-surgical procedure on his bladder is “scheduled, elective and minimally invasive” and will be performed at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement.
The bladder problem is not related to the prostate cancer diagnosis and its “excellent” prognosis, he added.
The Pentagon said it will provide an update on the Austin situation after Friday’s proceedings.
The announcement is likely an attempt for the department to be more transparent about Austin’s health after the secretary underwent two surgeries in December and January without telling President Biden, Hicks or the public.
As soon as the news broke that Austin was hospitalized and placed in the intensive care unit in early January, criticism flooded the secretary.
Austin said the news of his cancer diagnosis in late December shook him and that his “first instinct was to keep it private.” He underwent a minimally invasive prostatectomy in late December, but on January 1 Austin developed complications.
He was taken back to Walter Reed and admitted to the intensive care unit with what was assessed as a urinary tract infection. The secretary was hospitalized for several days before the Pentagon released a statement.
After facing widespread anger over his secrecy, Austin released a statement saying he could have done a better job ensuring everyone was informed, but it was his responsibility to make “disclosure decisions.” He maintained there were “no gaps” and “no risk” to the department’s command and control.
On February 1, Austin apologized, saying he didn’t handle the situation correctly.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
